Crawl in, sit in sandpit - should I stay or should I go?

So Summer is pretty much over and our crawl in, sit in sandpit that we created a couple of months ago is looking a bit waterlogged and soggy!  So the question is do we keep it..... The official sweeper upper 'my hubby and co-childminder, Mr Caterpillars' has been grumbling about the amount of sand finding itself into the house and our assistant has even reported it in her hair in the shower!  I am, however, reluctant to let it go!  None of us can deny that it has been the source of much pleasure for all the children.  They absolutely love it and what an area for learning and development....It has been used for imaginative play, for counting, for finding, for digging, for making sand castles and to be honest just a really good sensory resource.  Even on a wet day they gravitate straight to it and have no hesitation in jumping in whatever it's consistency!  Surprisingly no parents have complained despite it being in everyone's shoes, nappies, socks and all manner of other places.  Probably because they have seen the photos I have sent of their children having so much fun.  I think we will keep it as long as we can, after all it has taken on a whole new personna now it's a bit wetter and I can envisage many more learning opportunities in it's wet state! If it really becomes unmanageable then I am keen to cover it with a decking lid which can be removed on fine days - #somethingforyoutobuildmrcaterpillars

We'll see how it goes....... 

Crawl in, sit in sandpit - should I stay or should I go?

Sir Michael Wilshaw you think you're opinionated.......

Not playing the sympathy card, but just saying, that nowadays I am normally too busy to write blogs and get on social and professional media, or least as much as I'd like to.  I happened to come across an article today though that I really had to comment on because I was that worked up by its content!

http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/ofsted-chief-sir-michael-wilshaw-headteachers-should-not-be-afraid-to-say-youre-a-bad-parent-9708134.html

So after finishing work at 6.45pm and then writing up and emailing 10 daily diaries for under 5's to parents, I have managed to sit and have a good read of the above article.

Sir Michael, we are certainly on the same wavelength if, to quote the article "His mission? To improve the lot of children — particularly those from deprived backgrounds: “For poor kids especially, education is their only chance.”

I am too and that is the reason, after all, that a year ago I embarked on the Early Years Teacher Programme and received confirmation from the National College of Teaching and Leadership just a few days ago that I am now an Early Years Teacher.  Oh and by the way I am a local childminder too.

This is my personal statement that accompanied my application to the programme eighteen months ago.

I have been registered as a Childminder since September 2010.  I currently work with six children under the age of five, three of whom are babies, two of whom are toddlers and one who is a young child.  I entered the profession late in my career having spent fourteen successful years working in business and administration prior to that.  Like the children in my care, who I support and encourage to reach their potential, I also challenge myself to be the best that I can be.  The EYTP would be a challenge that I am excited to undertake and confident that I can achieve.   With recent and on-going changes in the childcare sector, I feel that now is the perfect time to demonstrate that excellence in teaching, learning and care can be achieved in a childminding setting.   Often childminders are perceived to be second rate to other childcare professionals and for me to complete the EYTP would be acknowledgement that the gold standard in childcare can be achieved in a home-based setting.   Moreover, I am committed to and passionate about providing the best early years teaching and learning in my local area.  I work in an area which is 30% disadvantaged (Adwick Children's Centre Area Report 2012) and at our local nursery, which is attached to the school, 'most children enter with skills that are well below those typical for their age' (Ofsted report 2008).  It is critical that children in their early years are given every opportunity to thrive and it would be fabulous if this were not based on their backgrounds or the area they live in. Sadly, this is not usually the case and it is the children from disadvantaged families, of which there are many in my locality, who really need the knowledge, understanding and exemplary practice that an EYT can offer.  I feel very strongly that all children should have access to the same standard of opportunity and just because they live in this area or because their parents/carers opt for a home-based setting this does not have to mean that quality is affected.  I employ three assistants in my business and I am always keen to share best practice and support them in as they become better childcare practitioners.  I am also the Doncaster Facilitator for PACEY Local, a peer support network for childminders, nannies and childcare professionals working in nurseries.  This role has not only enabled me to use peer support to improve my own practice but I hope has helped other professionals to network, avoid isolation, be reflective and ultimately become better practitioners.  I keep up to date with developments in childcare by networking, reading and by using social media.  My recent improvements to my setting include introducing the Mud Kitchen, introducing Forest School for the under 5s and creating secure online Learning Journeys for parents/carers to access and interact with on my website.   I believe that childcare is on the brink of change, improvement, challenge and getting out of its comfort zone and I want to be a part of that and the children of Skellow need me to be a part of that.

I feel as strongly today about my objectives as I ever did.  So you can see I believe we are agreed on what the outcome for children should be but I'm afraid I do not agree with you on the way in which we should get there.

I am not adverse in any way to there being a range of options for parents and whenever a parent comes to visit me I actively encourage them to consider, not only other childminders, but also other settings as there is no one size fits all and what suits one family and one child may not suit another.  But to be looking to expand school-based nurseries to accommodate the growing need for 2 year old funded places which I assume is what Sir Michael is alluding to when he says "With poor families now getting 15 hours free provision of childcare, the Government should try to ensure they go to a school-based nursery, not the local child- minder.” is absolutely ludicrous if you don't mind me saying so.

I have to say that my personal opinion is that a home-based setting is my preferred environment for 2 year olds but I am willing to concede that not every home-based setting has the quality of teaching that Sir Michael or any of us would like and that some school-based nurseries may be the appropriate setting for some 2 year olds.   But instead of shooting us all down, making us feel inadequate and threatening to take away our option to care for funded 2 year olds, why not give childminders the support they need to be better. To become Early Years Teachers, childminders need degrees and most cannot afford the current cost of a degree - edging on £9000 pa I believe even though many would be more willing and able undertake one even if it took them three or four years. So let's have some funding there please.....

The powers that be seem to be all to quick to band around sweeping statements that affect the morale and the motivation of of all Early Years Practitioners but especially childminders who often already feel isolated and inadequate and I would like to know how often 'they' actually get off their  "sofa in ..... Holborn office" and come out to the grass roots.  Sir Michael you are more than welcome to come to our setting anytime, talk with me, my husband who is also a registered childminder, our assistants, anyone of the 31 children we care for and their parents.  If you then feel that our Little Caterpillars aren't meeting or exceeding age related expectations and aren't ready for their next stage of learning then I may be willing to consider your proposal to expand school-based nursery provision.

I could go on further and ask how you would expect school-based nurseries to offer pick ups and drop offs to 2 year olds like we do or how you would expect school-based nurseries to accommodate different shift patterns or extended provision requests, will they be prepared to work into the school holidays?  Do you also intend that school-based nurseries continue with a ratio of 1:4 2 year olds?......we have 1:3 and we believe that vulnerable 2 year olds need that but that's our personal choice and I don't blame any nursery if they are operating within framework ratios. 

Perhaps, Sir Michael, you would prefer it if all registered childminders that are currently providing places for vulnerable 2 years old decided to stop immediately?........ Ooh would that cause a problem for sufficiency?  It certainly would.  Instead your support, thanks and appreciation would not go a miss.

All that is not even before I've come to the headline for the article....

Headteachers should not be afraid to say ‘you’re a bad parent’

Is that really productive?.....Parents come in all shapes and sizes and from all backgrounds, working in partnership with them is key - telling them they're a bad parent, where is that going to get you?  You have to find a way to connect with them that suits them and their lifestyle - parents evenings, homework.....it may not work for them so you have to look for another way this is basic stuff....

This from a man that we all look up to we all want to get the seal of approval from, (hanging head in despair)

I'm also a community governor - what on earth does that mean?  “Where you’ve got poor governance, why not pay governors?” Pay governors for poor governance OK now I'm lost.........

One of your local childminders - Emma Harris BA (Hons) EYT

School readiness and what age are we talking about?

one of the key findings of the document http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/are-you-ready-good-practice-school-readiness is that there are various views on the definition of school readiness and whether the term refers to readiness to start school on entry to Year 1 or the start of entry into reception.  This is not helpful.....The precise characteristics of school readiness and the age of the child to which it applies are interpreted differently and there is no nationally agreed definition!  For most parents 'school' is when children start going to 'full-time' school in reception but I have personally heard other professionals refer to 'school' when they actually mean nursery places so 3 and 4 year olds!  Is it any wonder that we are left wondering whether the children in our care are meeting expected levels of development or not?

In my setting, it is our aim that children are working towards their individual next stage of their learning journey.  Who are we to say what this next stage will be - nursery, reception, Year 1 or even another provider which could be at any time.

The EYFS early years outcomes, alongside my knowledge and understanding of child development, guide my assessment of each child's stage of learning and development and as that applies to children until the term following their 5th birthday, then surely they have until that time to achieve the early learning goals.  I work in partnership with nursery schools (at 3/4 yrs) and reception classes (at 4/5 yrs) to continue to support children to reach the early learning goals.

If a child is developing at the expected stage of development for their age then by the end of the EYFS (end of reception year) then they should be ready for school (ie. Year 1).

So I suppose in effect I am saying that 'school' in my opinion is the start of Key Stage 1 because until that stage children are working towards the early learning goals of the EYFS which is a joint responsibility between all those providing care for them.

The worry is that with no agreed definition that children are being pressured into unrealistic goals and practitioners are feeling disheartened that outcomes for children are not as they had expected when in fact we should be concentrating on all the wonderful things these children can do and not what they can't do.

Question number 2 to the DfE - Answers on Childminding Agencies required please

Question number 2 for the DfE regarding Childminder Agencies is "If you are registered with an agency and that agency ceases to exist either by choice or worse still because for some reason it does not continue to meet the required quality standards (whatever they turn out to be), where does that leave the individual childminders within it?"

If the have relinquished their right to an individual Ofsted registration then surely they could not immediately practise again as an Ofsted registered childminder could they? What are their options - can they immediately join another agency (if there is one to join) or do they have to go through the whole registration process to become a childminder again?

What happens to an individual childminder's reputation if the agency, for some reason, does not meet the required standard?  I don't really need the DfE to answer this one, I already know the answer.  Building up a reputation as a Childminder is the most important bit of marketing that you will ever do, it is certainly not something I would be willing to put at risk. 

Please don't tell me that it unlikely that a Childminding Agency would fold because stranger things have happened!

Questions to the DfE.....

Even after the DfE co-hosted the #EYtalking session on Tuesday, there are still so many questions that we need answered regarding childminding agencies and the future for us as independent childminders.  In fact they didn't really answer any questions on childminder agencies at all!

Bearing in mind that they will be expecting childminders to actually sign up to these agencies in September, and nobody is going to do that without knowing all the facts, could they please come up with answers to some of our questions? 

Question 1 - So if a childminder joins an agency and relinquishes their right to an individual inspection by Ofsted, they are are then presumably not an Ofsted Registered Childminder anymore?  What happens then if they are approached by a family outside of the agency?  Presumably they would not be able to take that business? Or does the fact that you are registered with an agency also entitle you to take on any other business as well?

If it is the former then agency childminders will be completely reliant on the agency for their business.....

BBC News - Agency childminders would have Ofsted opt-out http://bbc.in/1jIZ5Nb

Steam coming from my ears listening to Jeremy Vine Show about raising the National Minimum Wage

Whilst driving to drop one of the Little Caterpillars off home I happened to catch the tail end of a debate going on about raising the National Minimum Wage.  In complete agreement with caller Margaret (if you were listening) that this will most certainly have an adverse effect on micro businesses like mine.  I have been pretty proud of myself for developing my business to such an extent that I am in a position to employ other people but I could have just as easily decided not to expand and continue to work alone and this would almost certainly been the case if the minimum wage we're set so that it didn't make it worth my while.  As it happens I have created a job for someone in my local area which although a drop in the ocean is a small part that I  doing to reduce the unemployment figures.  So would it better for me to employ someone on a low wage or not employ them at all?

Some callers we're talking about the NMW not being adequate for people to live on - well surely this depends on the person - everyone has different circumstances and not everyone has household bills to pay, young people still living at home with parents for one.  For them they might just be grateful for the opportunity to get some experience and have some spending money in their pocket.  With the right employer this might just give them the right set up for life.  Then some callers mentioned exploitation - really?  Well I can't really speak for huge companies, making huge profits and yes morally they should take a look at themselves but for those us who are making very modest profits it's not that we don't want to pay more it is simply that it doesn't make business sense to do so.  I can assure you that I am not sitting on a big pile of money and paying the NMW just because I want to keep it all to myself!  My views on people going for jobs on any wage or indeed those going for zero hour contracts is that you have the choice to do so.  No-one forces someone to go for a job on a low wage or on a zero hours contract they can always go for another job or not go for one at all - that's their prerogative  and I think it should be mine to decide what I pay them.  Some callers thought that having a NMW was actually detrimental because some employers opt to pay the legal minimum because they can.  I agree with this too - I would prefer to see it left to market forces.  Clearly in order to be paid more you would have to prove your worth which is not a bad thing.  My final point is that being self-employed gives you no right to any NMW whatsoever - whilst I built my business up I worked for way way less than the minimum wage for about 18 months. I persevered, worked hard and long hours and it came good.  These are the traits and the work ethic that we should be instilling in the workforce of today.  I will always endeavour to employ the best quality people and I know that this will mean paying them a decent wage so together the team and I will work build the business to the point where this is possible.  Let's hope we are not stopped in our tracks as we strive to get to that point.